RBH trust boss Ed Donald is back

The boss of Royal Berkshire Hospital is coming home for Christmas after it was confirmed yesterday he would be returning to the post after weeks of speculation about the future of the trust’s management.

The reasons around Mr Donald’s ‘departure’ were not confirmed by Royal Berkshire Hospital

The boss of Royal Berkshire Hospital is coming home for Christmas after it was confirmed yesterday he would be returning to the post after weeks of speculation about the future of the trust’s management.

Earlier this month, sources said Ed Donald, had quit the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust following a vote of no confidence from the trust’s board over the reorganisation of its structure, which was put in place at the end of November.

But yesterday, sources told getreading that Mr Donald had returned to his role as chief executive officer, which was confirmed by RBH.

Hospital spokesman Joe Wise said: “The trust is keen to end the current speculation around its leadership. Chief executive Ed Donald has now returned from his period of leave.

“The chairman and non-executive directors are committed to working with the chief executive Ed Donald and their partners to ensure the trust continues to deliver high quality patient care and effective financial management in the most challenging operating environment that the NHS and Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has faced.”

The Reading Post reported earlier this month a source had said: “The chief executive has been dismissed through a vote of no confidence by the non-executive directors.”

The reasons around Mr Donald’s ‘departure’ were not confirmed by Royal Berkshire Hospital and a statement then said he was “currently on annual leave”.

Uncertainty surrounding the management of the trust continued as sources claimed it was chairman Colin Maclean who had led the vote against Mr Donald. It was also reported clinicians held a meeting to discuss Mr Maclean’s future, but the hospital was unable to comment on the claim.

Speculation about the leadership of the trust sparked concern from Reading Borough Council, whose leader Councillor Jo Lovelock wrote to the chairman on behalf of the emerging Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB), made up of councillors, representatives from the Clinical Commissioning Groups, the Primary Care Trust and the Director of Public Health.

She expressed the group’s “collective concern about the future management and leadership of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust”.

In response, Mr Maclean and Cllr Lovelock held a meeting on Tuesday this week to discuss the “very worrying matter”.

RBH was unable to comment on the meeting but Cllr Lovelock told getreading: “I was urging that a constructive delegation took place with a view to calming things down and getting on with the important job of delivering health care in Reading as soon as possible.”

Following confirmation of Mr Donald’s return, Cllr Lovelock said: “I’m pleased to hear that Ed Donald is back at work and I hope everybody can now put this episode behind them.”